When Ballantyne thought he kicked the match-winner

VideoWhen Hayden Ballantyne hit the ball sweetly from 55m after the siren, everyone thought he'd won the Dockers the game

To celebrate this weekend’s Western Derby, our football writers are counting down five controversial derby moments.

In the most sensational ending to a match in derby history, Fremantle livewire Hayden Ballantyne hit the post with his shot after the siren in a gutsy attempt to win a derby in round 18, 2011.

Ballantyne’s ecstasy and then agony is one of the lasting images from more than two decades of derbies, with the goalsneak beginning to celebrate before realising his shot had missed.

The most dramatic derby finale began with a contentious deliberate out of bounds free kick paid against West Coast’s Matt Rosa in the final seconds of the game. The drama continued in the days that followed, with AFL umpires boss Jeff Gieschen saying Ballantyne’s kick was illegal.

Camera IconDocker Hayden Ballantyne falls to his knees as he realises his game-winning kick has hit the post. Credit: WA News, Ian Munro

Umpires should have called play on, ending the match immediately, because the Docker came off his line to open the angle up after the siren.

The Eagles held on by a point after ruckman Nic Naitanui got a hand to the ball on the goal-line, palming it onto the goalpost.